Four tips on proper etiquette when exploring Japan

Japan is famed for its culture of politeness and respect, with a number of traditions which may seem unusual to those visiting this popular destination .

Even if you're there for business, you’ll undoubtedly find some downtime to explore the local surroundings.

Here are a few easy tips to keep in mind, to make your next trip flow smoother and avoid creating potentially awkward situations with the Japanese residents.

1. Leave your cash on the tray

You’ll find the ubiquitous cash tray at just about any establishment that takes payments.

The general idea is you put your cash or card on the tray, let the clerk process the payment, and pick up the change and receipt once they leave it on the tray.

It may seem impersonal to us, but it’s the polite way to handle money in Japan as directly handing someone cash may come off as too strong.

2. Stand on one side of the escalators

If you’re ever at a train station during peak hour, it’ll be impossible to miss the throng of passengers taking up the escalators. You’ll also clearly see without fail, that one side of the escalator is reserved for standing (95% of people), and the other is for walking (the remaining 5% who are running late).

Interestingly, if you’re in the Osaka-Kansai region, people will stand on the right and walk on the left, which may seem counter-intuitive. Over on the Tokyo side (and indeed, the rest of Japan), the norm is to stand on the left and walk up the right.

Never push your way into an escalator line either. Especially when coming off a train onto a crowded platform, find the end of the line and wait your turn to go up. Naturally, this goes for all other types of queuing in Japan as well, such as waiting to board the train.

3. Don’t walk and eat on the streets

Foodies will feel right at home when visiting the street markets after a busy day of business.

Once you have your snack in hand though, it’s best to try find somewhere to sit down and enjoy it properly. Many street market stalls will have dedicated areas behind their shops just for this.

The reason – it’s generally considered impolite to eat food while walking around, or on local trains (bullet and other long-distance trains are okay).

While no one is going to accost you for munching on your snack while strolling, you may notice a few disapproving stares headed your way.

4. Don’t litter

This tip is universal, of course. But a problem you’ll quickly notice is the dearth of general/public rubbish bins around the streets of Japan.

You’ll often find a lot of your rubbish is from street vendor food purchases. In this case, it’s customary to return the waste back to the stall you bought it from (after all, you’re also expected to eat around the shop).

Vending machines will sometimes have recycling bins for bottles nearby, and you might find the odd bin at a train station or shopping mall.

But if there’s no disposal site in sight, then it’s best to just hold on to your waste and get rid of it at the end of the day, when you retire to your room.

Do you have any other tips on travelling around Japan to share?

Brandon Loo

Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.